Only two of the facilities had been featured in Pokémon games prior to the Battle Frontier's debut in Platinum. The Battle Tower and Battle Factory were both present in Emerald; the Battle Tower has been in every game since its debut in Crystal, excluding FireRed and LeafGreen, which featured a similar facility called Trainer Tower.

Overview

Overview of the Battle Frontier

Upon the player's first entry into the Battle Frontier, their Vs. Recorder will be upgraded with a Frontier Record by a woman at the entrance. The Vs. Recorder keeps the amount of Battle Points the players has. It also contains the commemorative prints obtained from the Battle Frontier. One battle from within one of the facilities may be recorded and stored on the Frontier Record, which may be watched or overwritten with another at any time.

On winning through a set amount of battles in any given facility, Battle Points, or BP, will be awarded, usually in small amounts, but gradually growing through each consecutive streak. Defeating the Frontier Brain of a given facility for the first time awards the silver commemorative print of that facility, while the second defeat of the same Brain gives the commemorative print a golden color. They are the equivalent of a Badge, and equivalent to the Symbols from Hoenn's Battle Frontier. The Frontier Brain will only appear in single battle mode. Also, defeating a Brain will always yield a 20BP reward. Battles conducted here do not award experience or money. Also, Pokémon seen in the battles will not be added to the Pokédex.

The center of the Battle Frontier, with a map showing the five battle facilities

There are usually three forms of challenges. The first of these challenges is the standard single battle in which the challenger must engage in seven three on three battles in a row. Winning a set of seven battles earns the player Battle Points. The second of these challenges follows the same layout as the standard single battle but are rather conducted as Double Battles. Each facility also offers Multi Battles that two players can participate in, using the Nintendo DS's Wireless Connection, to increase their record. The Battle Frontier also allows players from around the world connect together using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to take part in multi Battles in any of the Battle Frontier facilities. This can be done by going to the Wi-Fi Club on the basement floor of any Pokémon Center, and selecting the Battle Frontier function. However, both players must have entered the Hall of Fame and visited the Battle Frontier at least once.

Regardless of what challenge is taken, the following Pokémon are not allowed:

The Battle Tower (Japanese: バトルタワーBattle Tower) is identical to the Battle Tower in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. It is the northernmost facility in the Battle Frontier, and has a direct path to it from the entrance. It is on a large, glass platform that elevates above all the other facilities, making it the head of the Battle Frontier. The same small boy who stands in front of the Battle Tower in Hoenn's Battle Frontier, is also standing outside this one.

The player battles seven Trainers consecutively in a simple knock-out, progressively becoming more difficult. Before entering, Trainers will choose three Pokémon to battle, their level reduced to 50. Players are not allowed to bring Pokémon with the same items here. Consumed items, such as Berries, will be replaced after each battle. The player's Pokémon will also be healed completely after each battle. Players will then have the option to continue, rest, retire, or get their most recent battle recorded on their Vs. Recorder. The difficulty of battles here is based on how many rounds the player endures; the first round features fast opponents, the second round has opponent's Pokémon holding items, and starting in the third round, opponents begin to use strategic battle combinations.

There are also a number of other challenges in the Battle Tower that other facilities don't have. Multi battles can be conducted, following the format found in the other two challenges. Before the challenge begins, players can choose one among Riley, Cheryl, Buck, Mira, and Marley as their partner, though in Platinum, they must be met in certain areas before they will appear in the Tower. Each partner specializes in a different Pokémon stat, and different Pokémon. There is also another feature that allows the player to randomly download a team using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which will then begin to appear in the player's Battle Tower challenges. One can also upload their team to the database to be downloaded by another player.

Palmer is the Frontier Brain for the Battle Tower. He can be challenged after 20 consecutive battles. His first lineup is filled with fully evolved Pokémon, with high stats to match. Once defeated, he will give away the silver commemorative print. Palmer can be challenged again after 49 consecutive battles, and will give away the gold commemorative print when defeated. He uses different Pokémon during the second match, battling with three legendary Pokémon.

Awards

Unlike the other facilities at the Battle Frontier, the Battle Tower awards the player Goods and Ribbons for meeting certain conditions. Not only are there prizes for single battle, but also for winning consecutive Double Battles or multi battle in the Wi-Fi battle room.

The Battle Factory (Japanese: バトルファクトリーBattle Factory) is another battle venue in the Generation IV Battle Frontier, having basically the same rules as Hoenn's Battle Frontier's Battle Factory. It is located on the northeast corner of the Battle Frontier. The blue building itself is much like a factory, with exhaust fans, and pipes. There is a long, glass panel on the floor of the building that transfers information around. There are Poké Balls containing rental Pokémon in glass storage panels inside, and there is an electronic battle ground that lights up before a battle begins. Like Hoenn's Battle Factory, it is more dedicated to research than the other facilities, and the subject of the scientists' research is the abilities of Trainers when using random Pokémon in battle.

Before entering the Battle Factory, the player will be asked to hand over their current party in exchange for rental Pokémon. The player will then be able to choose three out of six random Pokémon to rent and battle other Trainers; these Pokémon will be either level 50 or 100, depending on whether competing in the level 50 or level 100 competition. After winning a battle, the player's Pokémon will be healed completely, and the player will have the option to continue, rest, retire, or get their most recent battle recorded on their Vs. Recorder. If the player continues, they will get the offer to trade one of the rental Pokémon for their opponent's rental Pokémon, but they may not see the Pokémon's status before trading. A scientist will tell the player what Pokémon their opponent will be using before every battle, but after the player progresses through consecutive battles, the scientist will tell less and less.

Thorton is the Frontier Brain for the Battle Factory. He can be challenged after 20 consecutive battles. Thorton is subject to the same rules in the Battle Factory; he must use rental Pokémon as well, so his team will not be known until he is encountered. He could have anything except for the Pokémon that are not admissible in the Battle Frontier. Once defeated, he will give away the silver commemorative print. Thorton can be challenged again after 49 consecutive battles, and will give away the gold commemorative print when defeated.

Staff information

The Battle Factory scientist staff member will hint about the next Pokémon or move the player will face. But after the player progresses through rounds, the scientist will hint less information than last round. The player should use the data to decide which Pokémon to rent and form a strategy based around it.

The Battle Arcade (Japanese: バトルルーレットBattle Roulette) is a new facility located in the southeastern corner of the Battle Frontier. The building itself looks like a large tent, with articular domes, much like Saint Basil's Cathedral. Inside the Arcade, it is dark with strange patterns on the walls and floors like a circus tent. In the stadium room, there is a large screen called the Game Board that most of the game is displayed on.

The player battles seven Trainers consecutively in a knock-out, much like all other facilities in the Battle Frontier. Before entering, Trainers will choose three Pokémon to battle, having their level reduced to 50. Prior to battles, all items equipped on the Pokémon used are removed. Battles in the Battle Arcade are 3 vs 3. Upon entering, the player's Pokémon will be seen on the Game Board. The foe's Pokémon will also be seen when they enter the field.

Before a battle begins, the player must play the game board to determine the condition of the battle. The game board is a massive roulette machine that will scroll quickly through a grid of small boxes, known as Events. Landing on a dark purple box affects the player while landing on a red box affects the foe. Gray boxes, on the other hand, affect both foes. Each event will have a different effect; some may lower the opponent's HP, poison the opponent's Pokémon, or speed up the game board. The choice may affect the player's Pokémon, the opponent's, or even the field. The board may land on status ailments, weather changes, level changes, Berries and more. It may even land on nothing. The status ailments appear to be based on moves with certain types. This means that Steel-type Pokémon are immune to poisoning. Every battle is called a game; for example, the first battle is known as Game No. 1. After winning a battle, the player's Pokémon will be healed completely, and the player will have the option to continue, rest, retire, or get their most recent battle recorded on their Vs. Recorder.

Dahlia is the Frontier Brain for the Battle Arcade. She can be challenged after 21 consecutive battles. Once defeated, she will give away the silver commemorative print. Dahlia can be challenged again after 49 consecutive battles, and will give away the gold commemorative print when defeated.

Roulette events

Event

Target

Effect

Duration

Lowers foes' HP

Foe

Lowers Pokémon's HP by 20%

1 battle

Poisons foes

Foe

Poisons Pokémon

1 battle

Paralyzes foes

Foe

Paralyzes Pokémon

1 battle

Burns foes

Foe

Burns Pokémon

1 battle

Puts foe to sleep

Foe

Puts one Pokémon to sleep

1 battle

Freezes foe

Foe

Freezes one Pokémon

1 battle

Foes get Berries

Foe

All Pokémon gain a Berry

1 battle

Foes get items

Foe

All Pokémon gain a held item

1 battle

Foes level up

Foe

All Pokémon gain 3 levels

1 battle

Lowers allies' HP

Ally

Lowers Pokémon's HP by 20%

1 battle

Poisons allies

Ally

Poisons Pokémon

1 battle

Paralyzes allies

Ally

Paralyzes Pokémon

1 battle

Burns allies

Ally

Burns Pokémon

1 battle

Puts ally to sleep

Ally

Puts one Pokémon to sleep

1 battle

Freezes ally

Ally

Freezes one Pokémon

1 battle

Allies get Berries

Ally

All Pokémon gain a Berry

Remainder of the round

Allies get items

Ally

All Pokémon gain a held item

Remainder of the round

Allies level up

Ally

All Pokémon gain 3 levels

1 battle

Sunny

-

Battle in Sunny weather

1 battle

Rain

-

Battle in Rainy weather

1 battle

Sandstorm

-

Battle in Sandstorm weather

1 battle

Hail

-

Battle in Hail weather

1 battle

Fog

-

Battle in thick fog

1 battle

Trick Room

-

Battle in Trick Room conditions

1 battle

Pokémon swap

-

Battle after swapping all Pokémon with foe

1 battle

Speed Up

-

Increase the speed of subsequent roulette flashes by 1

Remainder of the round

Speed Down

-

Decrease the speed of subsequent roulette flashes by 1

Remainder of the round

Random

-

Makes subsequent roulette flashes non-sequential

Next roulette game

Get 1BP

-

Get 1BP and battle with no other event

1 battle

No battle

-

Move onto the next Trainer without battling

1 battle

No Event

-

Battle with no event

1 battle

Get 3BP

-

Get 3BP and battle with no other event

1 battle

Nullify events

Some events that include poisoning, paralyzing, freezing, and burning Pokémon can be negated by certain Abilities and types. The status ailments appear to be based on moves with certain types; Steel-type Pokémon are immune to poisoning.

The Battle Castle (Japanese: バトルキャッスルBattle Castle) is another new facility located in the southwestern corner of the Battle Frontier. The Battle Castle, as its name suggests, is a huge castle, with elegant furniture on the floor and sparkling jewels on the wall. There is a golden carpet from the entrance to the battle ground. In the stadium itself, Lady Caitlin, the princess of the castle, sits on her throne atop a platform, watching down on battles. Her butler, Darach, directs people to their battle, handing out prizes to people after victory.

In the Battle Castle, players must fight seven opponents in a row. Like in the Battle Arcade, all held items are removed prior to battling. Before entering, Trainers will choose three Pokémon to battle, having their level reduced to 50. After entering, the player will meet Castle Valet Darach in the hallway, and he will give 10 Castle Points, or CP, to the player, and will lead them to the battles.

Castle Points are the currency within the Battle Castle — special things must be done to gain them, but they can be exchanged for certain benefits. Winning allows players to receive Castle Points, which are used in multiple ways. The Castle Points can allow players to heal their Pokémon's HP, PP, both, or buy items for use inside the Battle Castle, such as Berries. It can also allow players to see their opponents' Pokémon and even increase or decrease their levels by five. Unlike other facilities in the Battle Frontier, in the Battle Castle, Pokémon will not be healed automatically after a battle.

At first, the player will be limited to what they can do with their CP, but if they save up enough, they can rank up and unlock more abilities, such as increasing the selection of items they can buy for their Pokémon, or increasing the amount of information the player can get on the opponent. After winning a battle, the player will have the option to continue, rest, retire, or get their most recent battle recorded on their Vs. Recorder. If the player chooses to continue, they will be able to get the chance to exchange CP for advantages. In Multi Battle mode, both players keep their own individual CP and ranks, but can also spend their CP for their teammate's Pokémon's benefit, such as buying an item that their teammate cannot currently afford.

Lady Caitlin and her valet, Darach are the Frontier Brains for the Battle Castle. Darach is challenged after 21 consecutive battles. The Pokémon that he uses in his first match are unique. They use powerful attacks that burn and paralyze Pokémon. Once defeated, he will give away the silver commemorative print. He is battled again after 49 consecutive battles, and will give away the gold commemorative print when defeated.

Receiving CP

Castle Points or CP is used as currency in the Battle Castle. The player automatically receives 10CP on the first entry of a streak. Winning battles allows players to receive Castle Points, which are used in multiple ways. There are certain conditions the player can try to meet for more CP.

Condition

CP

Number of Pokémon that have not fainted

No. ×3CP

Number of Pokémon with full HP

No. ×3CP

Number of Pokémon with more than half HP remaining

No. ×2CP

Number of Pokémon with less than half HP remaining

No. ×1CP

Number of Pokémon with no status ailments

No. ×1CP

Under 5 PP used in battle

8CP

Under 10 PP used in battle

6CP

Under 15 PP used in battle

4CP

Number of opponent's Pokémon that gained 5 levels

No. ×7CP

Spending CP

The Castle Points can allow players to heal their Pokémon's HP, PP, both, or buy items for use inside the Battle Castle, such as Berries. It can also allow players to see their opponents' Pokémon and even increase or decrease their levels by five. This can only be done by exchanging CP earned in battles, before every battle. CP can also be used to rank up certain actions, so instead of renting the normal eight Berries, the player can increase the rank to level 2 so it is possible to rent 8 kinds of Berries and 12 kinds of items. Some advantages can be ranked up twice to level 3 for more advantages. The player will keep all the CP and upgrades accumulated if all the Trainers are beaten successfully; however, if a match is lost or abandoned, the upgrades and CP will be lost as well, and the player must restart with the base 10 CP.

The Battle Hall (Japanese: バトルステージBattle Stage) is another facility located in the northwestern corner of the Battle Frontier. The stadium is a huge catwalk, in where people walk down the catwalk to the battleground, while fans take a number of photos and the spotlights shine all over the place. There is also a red carpet on the floor, all the way from the entrance to the stadium.

The Battle Hall is unique from any other facility in the Battle Frontier, as there are 10 battles per round instead of the usual 7, and only one Pokémon can be used in a single battle, meaning the battles are one-on-one. Before entering the Battle Hall, the player will be asked to select one Pokémon level 30 or higher for entry. If it is a different Pokémon from last time, the attendant will warn the player that they are using a different Pokémon, as Pokémon are used in winning streaks, and if the player uses a different Pokémon, the streak will be lost.

Once the Pokémon is entered, the player will go down the runway and will have to choose from a list of types which type they want to battle. This lets players control their advantages, as they are about to choose their own type they want to battle. As the only thing known about an opponent is one of the types of their Pokémon, the game may occasionally throw a curveball, such as if a player chooses to use a Fighting-type against their Dark-type opponent, they may find out that the opponent is using the Ghost/DarkSpiritomb who is immune to Fighting moves.

As the player wins against each type, that type raises in rank, causing the Pokémon of that type challenged to raise in level. The opponent's Pokémon can be chosen from any one of the 17 types. Each type begins at Rank 1, and advances to the next rank when the battle is won. The ranks will go up to 10, with Ranks 8-10 having Pokémon of different types.

After winning a battle, the player's Pokémon will be healed completely, and the player will have the option to continue, rest, retire, or get their most recent battle recorded on their Vs. Recorder. Players must also have ten battles in a row before they are allowed to exit. If doing a Double Battle challenge, the player must enter two of the same species of Pokémon.

Argenta is the Frontier Brain for the Battle Hall. She can be challenged after 50 consecutive battles, which is unique as all other Frontier Brains can be challenged after 21 consecutive battles. Like Thorton, her Pokémon are completely random, and the player cannot choose the type she uses from the list. She could have anything except for the Pokémon that are not admissible in the Battle Frontier. Once defeated, she will give away the silver commemorative print. Argenta can be challenged again after 170 consecutive battles, and will give away the gold commemorative print when defeated. The player must defeat all types at least 10 times before challenging her again.

Gaining fans

In the Battle Hall, the player will gain fans as their total record or their winning streak increases. If the player is a female, their major fan is Winston, and if the player is a male, their major fan is Serena. They can be found in the Battle Hall lobby in various locations with varying dialogue. The player will also get visitors cheering them on in the lobby. If the player's total record is over 500 in Pokémon Platinum, they will get the professor's assistant. If the record is over 1,000, the player will get Johanna, and over 10,000 will get Professor Oak or Jasmine. In HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, if the record is over 1,000, the player will get the player's mother, Ethan, or Lyra, and over 10,000 will get Professor Oak or Whitney.

Raising records

At the Battle Hall, the staff member next to the monitor will keep track of the player's total record, which is how many successive wins the player has earned with all of their Pokémon. For example, if two different Pokémon have both won 10 times, then the total record is 20. The player earns BP based on the total record.

Total

BP received

10

1BP

30

3BP

50/100/150/200/250/300/350/400/450

5BP

500/600/700/800/900/1000

10BP

1200/1400/1600/1800

30BP

2000+

50BP

Gallery

Outside the Battle Hall

Inside the Battle Hall

Before battle in the Battle Hall

Other areas of interest

Entrance hall

Artwork of the Battle Frontier, featuring the Frontier Brains

The entrance area in Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, and Platinum Versions.

The entrance hall is the entrance to the Battle Frontier from the Fight AreaPt or Frontier AccessHGSS. Because the Sinnoh Battle Frontier does not have a Pokémon Center, unlike Hoenn's, it cannot be accessed by Fly. Upon the first entry into the Battle Frontier, the Vs. Recorder will be upgraded with a Frontier Record by the women at the entrance. There are several women who will guide and explain venues of the Battle Frontier.

The top left woman will explain the Battle Castle

The top right woman will explain the Battle Arcade

The middle left woman will explain the Battle Factory

The middle right woman will explain the Battle Hall

The bottom left woman will explain about the Battle Frontier itself.

The bottom right woman will explain the Battle Tower

Stats judge

In the Battle Tower's lobby next to the PC is a man who considers himself a judge of Trainer's Pokémon. He can appraise one of the player's Pokémon by looking at its stats, specifically by checking how high the IVs are. First he describes the Pokémon's "potential", which is based on the sum of all six IVs. Then he indicates which stat has the highest IV and what range it falls in. If two or more IVs are tied for the highest then he will choose only one of them to comment on. In Sinnoh, he selects which highest stat he'll report randomly. In Johto, he cycles through the stats in the following order: HP, Attack, Defense, Speed, Special Attack, Special Defense. If a different Pokémon is shown, then the cycle will not reset.

Pokémon's Potential

IV Total

Decent

0 to 90

Above Average

91 to 120

Relatively Superior

121 to 150

Outstanding

151 to 186

Highest IV

Range

Rather Decent

0 to 15

Very Good

16 to 25

Fantastic

26 to 30

Can't Be Better

31

Exchange Service Corner

The Exchange Service Corner is located at the center of the Battle Frontier. The player can buy various goods with Battle Points won from the facilities. The Battle Frontier's prizes are the same as Diamond and Pearl's Battle Tower's prizes. They also use Battle Points which are won in the Frontier's various facilities. They can be bought at the stalls at the center of the Frontier. The following items are offered as prizes:

Pokémon Scratch-Off Corner

Scratching a Pokémon Scratch-Off Card

The Pokémon Scratch-Off Corner is located just north of the Exchange Service Corner. Pokémon Scratch-Off is a game that can be played for 1BP. This 1BP purchases three different Scratch-Off Cards, which permits winning up to 3 items. Upon purchase, a selection of 3 cards from four cards: red, blue, green, and yellow. Once done, scratching mode will begin. Using the stylus to scratch off the upper layer, scratching off three Pokémon gets the particular item that matches the Pokémon revealed. As soon as any part of any of the 9 blocks is touched, that block must be selected as one of the three choices. The whole card cannot be scratched off—only three blocks may be selected. If the player gets a Ditto, it acts as a wild-card, transforming into any other Pokémon should the player manage to get two of them. There are a total of three out of twenty-three different Berries to be won, and there will always be a Nugget to be won.

The Battle Factory is the only facility to not have a PC, due to the fact that players rent Pokémon instead of using their own.

The Battle Arcade is the only location in a Generation IV game to have moving animation while the player is saving: the screens that show the player's and their opponent's Pokémon flash, despite everything else pausing during the save.

In the Battle Castle, there are crosses above the foe's entrance which change depending on the round the player is on. For example, if the player is on round 1, then there is 1 cross.

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Pokégear will not play any radio channels whatsoever when the player is in any facilities. It is unknown why this happens.

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the stat Trainers all appear in the Battle Tower without any reason; the player character has never met them before. This is possibly to ensure full compatibility with Pokémon Platinum.

Trainers that received different overworld sprites in HeartGold and SoulSilver still use their Platinum sprites here.